


In-Laws

by Amarissia



Series: Decorum [16]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-10 11:21:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1159095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amarissia/pseuds/Amarissia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sephiroth has faced down huge monsters and ended a war with Wutai. How will he handle meeting his partners' parents? Part of the Decorum series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In-Laws

**IN-LAWS  
Part of the Decorum Series**

 

Zack knew he was dreaming from the faint, comfortable drowsiness he was feeling as he walked through the large, lush garden. Aside from the slight disappointment he always felt when Sephiroth and Cloud weren't with him, he was in a good mood. This was the kind of garden Angeal had always wanted and never had the space for (bigger than the small one in the ShinRa Compound that Zack still tended) and being here made him feel close to his old mentor.

Thanks to Angeal's tutelage, the young man was able to recognize many of the plants - Daoran sweet onions, Mideelian apples, pink honeysuckle, Junonian tomatoes, rare blue Wutaian roses, even a tree of Banora whites. Nothing very surprising, unlike the sight of a familiar, attractive red-haired man gently tending a bed of red lilies. Zack made a noise of surprise as the stranger rose and faced him with a smile.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. Is this your garden?"

"Partly, and don't apologize. I called you here, after all."

"Called me? Do I know you? Wait...holy Gaia. You're Genesis Rhapsodos, I've seen pictures of you."

The leather-clad man beamed. ""Photograph well, don't I? And you, Puppy, look how you've grown. No longer the tiny thing I remember."

"I don't understand."

"Think back, Puppy, think hard. You would have been about six. Two strangers came to your village, with a friend who'd been Frogged. You kissed the frog to see if it was under a spell, but it would be years before he fell under yours. You called one of them an angel and he told you a story about a dragon. I watched over you and we talked about the Goddess while Angeal stripped bark from a tree."

"Holy shit," Zack croaked. "I remember now. I thought it was a dream. I knew you guys looked familiar."

"Your cuteness convinced me to have children one day, but I passed before it was possible. But Angeal adopted you, so I guess that makes me your mother."

Zack laughed with him. "I wish I'd gotten to know you better."

"Me too, dear. And...thank you. Through you, I got my wish to see Seph happy and loved. You and that sweet blond boy have given him what he deserves."

"It's him who makes us happy," Zack said softly. "So, if you're here, does that mean..."

"I'm here, Pup."

Zack turned slowly, and the comforting sight of Angeal, whole and healthy, was blurred through the tears that came instantly. He staggered more than ran to the arms that encircled him and the heartbeat he was pressed to, the proof of continuing life.

"Don't leave, don't leave me again," he wept, and hands soothed him.

"I'm always here, never far from you. I'm always watching over you, kid, always will be. I'm so proud of you. You've done so well, become so strong."

"I miss you. I miss you so much."

"I didn't want to leave you, Pup. You were what made me love my life again."

Zack drew back to sheepishly wipe his eyes. "But you're happy?"

"That's what the Lifestream is, happiness. No time, no trouble, just everything you enjoy and the loved ones you lost."

"When you...died, the first time I smiled again was because you and Genesis were together."

"I saw," Angeal murmured, running a hand over black spikes. "You don't know how hard it was, not being able to hug you."

"You turned Angeal into quite the cuddler," Genesis volunteered mischievously. "Thanks for that."

"Did it hurt, dying?" Zack's voice was a whisper. "Is it lonely?"

"For a moment," Angeal said honestly. "But after that...it's the opposite. It's love and connection the likes of which you've never known."

"Timeless, too. For me, it was like I blinked and 'Geal was here, holding me again. Death is a stop on a train, Puppy, that's all. The center of a long life. This is where existence begins, not ends."

Zack wasn't sure he understood Genesis's words, but they were comforting. He went to the 1st and wrapped his arms around him. After a second of amused surprise, he was hugged back.

"You can visit us any time, little one, but you can't stay long. You can't neglect your life."

"I'll take care of Seph for you, forever. Please look after Angeal."

Genesis smiled, stepping back to let his lover hug their child from behind. "He'll never be rid of me, don't you worry."

"Angeal, why didn't you tell me we'd met before?"

"Because my attachment to you made me nervous, for a long time. I didn't want to pressure you to be close to me."

"You're my family, as much as Seph and Cloud and my parents."

A kiss was pressed to the top of his head. "Love you, kid. Time to wake up."

Zack shifted and blinked several times before opening his eyes. After such an intense dream, it took a few moments to remember where he was. A transport plane, buckled in, on his way to Gongaga to introduce his partners before they'd head to Nibelheim to repeat the process. Cloud was asleep and buckled in across from them, and Sephiroth was next to him and watching curiously.

"You appeared to be dreaming. Happily so, I thought, but there were tears."

"Seph...you were my first kiss."

"What?"

Quietly, though they were the only passengers, Zack related all he'd seen in his dream and all he remembered from that long-ago day. The general smiled to hear about his best friends being reunited, and looked thoughtfully pleased to hear about what had happened when he was a frog.

"Angeal would have said it was fate. That somehow you sensed, even then, that we belonged together."

"As we do."

Sephiroth slipped an arm around him. "Then you were my first kiss as well. I like that."

"Too bad you don't remember it."

"You should give me a new memory to compensate."

Zack kissed him slowly and passionately, a tangle of tongues and familiar, clean taste. Sephiroth put his hand under the uniform shirt to toy with soft nipples until they hardened, then let it stray down and inside Zack's underwear.

"Nnn, not here, the mess - "

"Trust me."

He did, of course. Zack was brought off very slowly, groaning into a hot mouth and thrusting into a cool palm. Sephiroth was always happy to see Zack aroused, and relieved now as well, to see him distracted from his apprehension. The general made it last as long as he could, stopping and starting, fingering the heavy balls, probing the slit to watch Zack's eyes widen.

When neither could delay any longer, the motions increased in speed, until Zack gasped and emptied himself. Somehow Sephiroth collected it all, letting not a drop land on the briefs, and took his hand out to lick his fingers clean. Against his shoulder, Zack was falling asleep again, muttering something about sea monkeys. Holding onto him, Sephiroth rested his head on Zack's and let his mind go blank of everything except love.

__

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Zack's anxiety seemed to drift away once they left the plane and began the short walk into the village. He excitedly named local flowers and trees, and jabbered about the games he used to play with friends. Cloud noticed a Touch Me and commented on its cuteness before Zack quickly hurried them on.

"The Item shop aways stocks Maiden's Kisses now," he explained, "but better safe than sorry."

"Indeed. I would not like to miss meeting your parents again."

Cloud, who had been told the story earlier, grinned. He was only months from his seventeenth birthday and no longer the shy, uncertain boy they had first met. The whole reason for this trip was that the trio was nearly ready to let the world know about their relationship. They thought it only fair that the families be told first.

The first villager they met up with was a man named Zeke, owner of the local Item store, who was very excited to see Zack, even picking him up and spinning him around. Not being a man to hide his feelings, Zeke pronounced Zack's blond friend adorable and told ShinRa's famous general he was "the prettiest thing I ever seen." Once they had moved on, Zack apologized for that, but for once, Sephiroth was laughing too hard to answer.

The pattern with every villager they met was similar - Ona the flower seller, Jeck the apothecary, Zack's childhood friend Zed and his new wife Alia, and so on. At first they could only see Zack, how cute he still was, how much he'd grown, how famous he'd become. Only afterwards would they be charmed by Cloud. Then they'd see Sephiroth, and the staring and stammering would begin. One woman even dropped into a clumsy curtsy. Luckily, Sephiroth was used to such things, and unfailingly polite. It amazed all of them, not least himself, how much better and more comfortable with people he had become.

Zack began to get nervous again as they passed the ornamental pool, where Cloud bent down to look at the water lilies. Uncaring who saw, Sephiroth rested a hand on his back.

"I'm nervous, Seph, and I don't know why. I'm an adult, I can do whatever I want, and all my parents ever wanted was for me to be loved."

"Then let me tell them how much you are."

Zack managed a smile, and they made their way to a green-doored cottage, one of the village's largest. Zara Fair opened before they could knock, a lovely woman with a waterfall of black hair, and pulled Zack into a tight hug with a sigh.

"My baby. Don't you ever make me wait a year between visits again!"

"It was ten months."

"Ten months, twenty-seven days." When she finally let go, she smiled warmly at the others. "Cloud, General, welcome to Gongaga. Please come in."

"Hello, Mrs. Fair."

"Please call me Sephiroth."

"All right, if you'll both call me Zara."

As she had been expecting them, the table was laid out with tea, cookies, and sandwiches. Owen Fair stood as they came in and shook hands with both guests; true to the good-natured personality his son had inherited, he seemed to feel no intimidation of Sephiroth at all. The five of them began to talk and eat, with Zack's parents filling him in on local gossip and goings on, and Cloud volunteered a few embarrassing incidents of Zack's from the recent past.

Sephiroth said little, as he always preferred to listen to conversation rather than take part. Zara seemed to think he was merely shy, and made it a point to ask his opinion on things, and question him about what SOLDIER was like. She also seemed to want to force-feed him as many cookies as possible. Owen was apparently interested in swords and admired Masamune, but did not ask to touch it as people sometimes did. Sephiroth decided he liked his first two in-laws very much.

"I hope our Zack hasn't been living on pizza," Zara said dryly.

"Hey, I cook all the time! Right, Seph?"

"Yes. But Pizza Palace is number three on his speed-dial."

"And Wok on the Wild Side is number five," Cloud chimed in, his mouth full of ginger snaps.

"Traitors, both of you," Zack grumbled.

Owen laughed and ruffled the black spikes that were like his own. "General, I hope my boy is well looked after."

"Zack is very much a younger brother to the other 1sts, and he and I often take missions together where, I assure you, I protect him. Zack also looks after the younger officers, Cloud in particular."

Zara smiled wistfully. "Zack was always good with younger kids. I can't wait till you have children of your own, baby. Them being adopted won't matter a bit to us."

Owen gently nudged his son. "Seeing anybody?"

Zack glanced quickly at his lovers. They had agreed not to reveal their secret until the morning, just before leaving. Zack wasn't worried his parents would be angry at him; there was just the chance they'd disapprove of him dating a higher-ranked man. And Zack wanted to leave them with time to get used to the threesome thing.

"Actually, yeah, but let me tell you tomorrow."

Zack quickly distracted them with a story about ShinRa's magic instructor, about whom they knew from his letters. Recently Zane had been caught in a costume shop fondling the chocobo suits, and Commander Hitchcock had had to go persuade the owner not to have him arrested for lewd behavior. Owen laughed hard at this, but questioned if Cloud was old enough to hear this sort of thing. The boy stated his age with a smile, accustomed to people thinking him younger than he was.

While on the subject of magic, Zack presented his mother with a new Restore materia he'd mastered for her. As the village healer, she found Cure spells very useful to heal wounds too urgent for herbs to fix. Owen, not to be left out, was presented with a Wutainese bonsai tree, and Zack explained that his dad loved trees, especially miniature ones. Cloud wondered privately if this was one reason Zack had seen Angeal as a surrogate father, another admirer of plants.

While Zara made dinner and Owen excused himself to preside over a village meeting, Zack gave his partners a tour of Gongaga. He showed them his favorite gnarled climbing trees, the branches of which had been his first toy swords. He showed them the small schoolhouse where he had been an excellent student, but was frequently scolded for his lack of focus. As it was a lovely spring day, they waded into the cool water of the lake Zack used to swim in, and they walked some of the jungle paths where he used to play tag and hide-and-seek.

"Gongaga is beautiful, but is it always this warm?" asked Cloud, who was starting to sweat.

Zack grinned. "This is nothing, Spiky. Come back with me in July, and you'll probably melt into a puddle."

Sephiroth, who never felt either cold or hot, had no complaints, and like Cloud, he found the lush jungle town of Gongaga very pretty. He felt a fondness for the place that had created his Zack, and expected to feel the same for Nibelheim. He wondered, though, if Cloud's mother would accept him. If Zack's parents would.

They returned to have dinner with Zara and Owen, a spicy meat and pasta dish they were all familiar with. After more lively discussion and a rich caramel custard, Zara asked the guests whether they'd mind sharing the guest room, as they only had one and the bed in it was large. Cloud nearly smirked as he assured her it was no problem.

__

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Zack lay awake into the night in his childhood bed, listening to the crickets' song and remembering all the time he'd spent playing in this room, dreaming of being a SOLDIER. Unlike his friend Alex, who'd given up that goal to become a chocobo breeder, Zack had realized his wish. He was a famous 1st everyone seemed to love and respect. He had a job he took pride in, a lot of friends, the two most gorgeous and perfect lovers on the planet. He had everything, except for his parents' approval.

They'd be fine with Cloud, he knew. Cloud had grown and didn't look so much like a fragile little flower anymore; he was confident and tough and about to enter 3rd Class in a week. Also, they were only three years apart in age. But Sephiroth, Sephiroth was six years older than Zack, and more importantly, he was a legendary and lethal killing machine. He was Zack's superior. There was a chance Zara and Owen would think their child had been ordered or coerced into the relationship.

_Funny, since I'm the one who chased Seph._

Zack's thoughts were interrupted by a welcome sight in the moonlight, Cloud slipping into the room. "I knew you wouldn't be asleep."

"Hi, baby. Do you need something?"

"You," Cloud said bluntly, stripped off the shorts he was wearing and crawled into the bed. "Seph's asleep, so I thought I'd come tire you out."

"Baby, my parents are right downstairs."

"I can be quiet. I just..." A faint flush in the dimness, a relic of his old shyness. "I just want you inside me."

Zack was nude and on top of him in seconds, massaging Cloud's lithe form with clever fingers. Though he had grown and hardened, the boy was still relatively small, looked deceptively delicate, all white and gold and sky-blue and pretty pink. Zack could never get over him, the one person he'd ever dominated or wanted to.

Cloud's hardness brushed his thigh as Zack sucked at the slender neck, the rosy nipples that stiffened slowly in warm air. He writhed so sensuously under Zack's ministrations, a seductively innocent nymph out of an explicit faerie tale. He rubbed his palm against the tip of Zack's erection, took the lotion from the bedside table and offered it with a coy smile.

"Please, take me, undo me."

He never needed to ask such a thing twice. Holding Cloud's legs around him, Zack pressed his way inside that delicious pressure. Cloud didn't burn and wonderfully constrict him as much as Sephiroth did, but he was still tight after so many fuckings, and the mako he'd soon receive would keep him so. Cloud panted quietly as he was thrust into, looking up with lust in his eyes, rubbing Zack's arms as his leaking cock dampened a muscled stomach.

"Zack...so good..."

"Spiky, I love you so much."

He fisted Cloud once he was close, and they came together. Once breath was caught and the mess was cleaned, Cloud snuggled up to him, knowing he'd have to leave but not ready to yet.

"Feel better?"

"With you, always." Zack was close to dropping off, he always was after sex, but forced his eyes to stay open. "Baby, are you sure you want to be a SOLDIER?"

"That again? Zack, I'll be fine. I'm strong now."

"I know you are. I just worry."

"You think I don't worry about you or Seph?" Cloud stroked Zack's smooth cheek. "At least this way, I'll be fighting for the same thing you guys are. And I know ShinRa isn't all about protecting people, but it partly is. I want to do that."

Zack smiled. "You've grown so much. I can't believe you'll be an official SOLDIER in five days."

"Grady wants to take me to a strip club to celebrate."

"Hmm. How ya gonna refuse that?"

"After the ceremony, he'll be informed that I belong to the two hottest guys on Gaia and they belong to me, and I don't want anyone else."

"Remember, you tell us if anyone bothers you."

"Zack, who would risk upsetting me, knowing you and Seph would kill them?"

Zack sighed. "True, but you'll be in another kind of danger. We have enemies who'd hurt you to get to us, and you'll be an insanely valuable hostage."

"Zack, there are even 2nds who can't beat me in a fight. Seph had that panic button built into my cell phone. Even you have to work to keep up with me. I can handle myself."

"Even if you need to kill?"

"If I have to," Cloud whispered. "If anyone tries to take me away from you and Seph, or hurt an innocent or someone I care about, yeah, I can do it. I'll show you guys. I'll make you proud."

"We're more than proud already. We adore you."

"I love you too. Now get some sleep, you're starting to look like the zombies from 'Night of the Harbingers'."

It wasn't until he was alone again that Zack remembered his concern about his parents. He hadn't worried about it at all while with Cloud.

__

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Zara served up a large breakfast in her guests' honor - fluffy pancakes, tropical fruit salad, grilled ham, toast and hot chocolate made with goats' milk. She found it cute that Sephiroth had never eaten pancakes and encouraged him to use a lot of syrup, although she laughingly scolded Zack for the amount he poured. When they were half done and the conversation had hit a lull, Zack swallowed anxiously, and felt Sephiroth's hand stroking his thigh.

"Mama, Daddy? Remember, you asked me if I'm in a relationship?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Well...I'm sort of with Sephiroth and Cloud. Both of them."

A moment of silence. Then Owen chuckled, and Zara laughed hysterically.

"Uh, guys?"

"Baby," Zara managed, "is this why you were nervous? Silly boy. I mean, we're surprised about Cloud, but we knew about you and Sephiroth."

"What? You did?!"

"Kiddo," Owen said patiently, "you're famous. Your relationship is famous. Didn't you know that? We've known for years."

"I...I didn't even think about that. Why didn't you say anything?"

"We were waiting to meet him. Waiting to see if it was serious, waiting for you to be comfortable."

"It is. It's very serious, and I'm insanely happy."

Owen looked very seriously at the general, who maintained eye contact even though he generally didn't like doing so.

"Sephiroth. I know you've done great violence, but you've defended civilians and put an end to a war. If you treat my boy well and keep him safe, that's all I need to know."

"I love him more than I have the ability to put into words. I will protect him always and do anything I must to keep him happy."

"Well, welcome to the family, then."

Zara reached out and took Cloud's hand. "And you too, sweetheart? My Zack is so lucky!"

Cloud beamed. "You don't mind the whole threesome thing?"

"Oh, no. That's an old custom over in Daora, and besides, who am I to dictate what form love comes in? I can tell you're all content and that's all that matters."

Zack's shoulders slumped. "I can't tell you how relieved I am. Thank you, Mama, Daddy."

"But," Zara said dramatically, "I don't want you to use my first name anymore."

Just for a moment, Sephiroth's heart stopped.

"You will both call me 'Mom.'"

Sephiroth felt warm, a rare thing for him. "I have...never had a mother."

"Well, now you do, honey."

"And you can call me 'Dad,'" Owen said casually. "It's funny, the way Zack talked about him, I used to think it would be that Angeal fellow."

"DAD!"

__

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He was small, only five or so, but Nibelheim was considered a safe place for children, and being a born loner, Cloud Strife found it natural to wander the outskirts of the village. Ignored by the other children for his silence, his strange prettiness, his lack of a father, Cloud spent most of his time alone, lost in his imagination and battling invisible dragons, which were easier to deal with than the average human.

Cloud knew his boundaries - fifty feet past the town gate and the ShinRa Mansion, and because he appreciated his freedom, he didn't break the rule. Playing by the mansion was his favorite thing to do, because none of the other children got close to it, and sometimes men in lab coats came in and out and talked to him, even offered him candy. (Cloud always politely declined, as he'd been taught, but he thought it was nice.) Best of all, sometimes he saw an older boy looking out the windows, with metallic eyes and silver hair, and Cloud had never seen anyone so beautiful.

Cloud had just slain his fourth Schizo of the day when something unprecedented happened - the mansion door opened, and the silver-haired boy stepped out, looking slightly uncertain.

"Five minutes, that's all," an unpleasant, shrill voice called from inside.

"Yes, Doctor." The boy had a lovely voice too.

Cloud hoped and hoped the stranger would come talk to him, and his wish was granted. The boy looked at him curiously and approached, slowly, as though he was used to scaring people with his quiet speed.

"Hi!"

"Hello. What are you doing with that stick?"

"I was fighting the Schizos."

"I do not see any. They are not indigenous to this area."

"I killed them all. Only I can see them, anyway."

The silver boy nodded. He was tall, perhaps fourteen or so, wearing an outfit of black leather which contrasted well with his shimmering hair. He looked unnaturally beautiful and perfect, and was used to people staring or being unnerved by him. That the small child didn't and wasn't interested him.

"That is good, then. Schizos are very dangerous, and by defeating them, you protect the village."

Cloud beamed. "Do you live in the mansion? I've seen you in the windows."

"My guardian brings me here for two months every year. This is the first time I've been allowed out, though."

"Mommy says it's important to get fresh air, so she always lets me play outside."

"The doctor doesn't believe in fresh air, I do not think. He merely adjusts the flow of oxygen to the laboratory."

"What's a lab-er-tory? And what's oxygen?"

Sephiroth knelt down in the snow, which delighted Cloud. "A laboratory is a sterile environment where tests and experiments are done. Oxygen is the principle component of the air we breathe. Do you understand?"

He didn't really, but Cloud nodded, pleased that another kid was paying attention to him. "Is your doctor nice? Mine gives me lollipops."

"No, he is not. What is a lollipop?"

Cloud was shocked by the question. "It's candy, silly!"

"Ah. My former doctor gave me licorice once. It made me speak rapidly and accelerated my heartbeat."

"Once I ate a whole loaf of Mommy's sugar bread, and I couldn't sleep! I just ran around!"

The teenager laughed softly. "A tech told me that is called a 'sugar rush.' Why are you playing alone, and not with other children?"

"Oh." Cloud looked dejected. "They don't like me. Sometimes Tifa is nice, but she won't play with me either."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment. "Perhaps you are special."

"Huh?"

"Whenever I have asked permission to play with children outside of ShinRa, my doctor has said such a thing would not be good for me, because I am special. Perhaps you are as well."

The blond child brightened. "Really? I'm like you? Cool! Do you want to be friends?"

"If you like, though it is not clear to me what it means to be a friend."

"It means we play together! Let's play hide-and-seek!"

Sephiroth willingly obliged, and though there were few places to hide, he was adept at climbing trees and scaling snow drifts without leaving footprints behind. He didn't know the rule about pretending not to find a younger hider right away and always caught Cloud immmediately, but the little boy didn't mind. He found Sephiroth's cluelessness endearing, though he didn't yet know that word.  
Sadly, the game only lasted a few minutes. All too soon, the shrill voice was shouting, "Boy! Back inside, now!"

"I must go now."

"Aw. Can we play again later?"

"If I am permitted, I will look for you. Next time I will bring my sword."

"Ooh, is it a real one?"

"Yes, it is called - "

"BOY!"

"Coming, Doctor," Sephiroth hissed, then his tone softened. "Goodbye."

Faster than Cloud had ever seen anyone walk, the boy was gone, and only as the door closed did he realize he did not know the older kid's name. I'll ask him next time.

For three weeks, Cloud spent hours of each day near the ShinRa Mansion, once leaving a wrapped slice of sugar bread on the welcome mat, all the while hoping to catch sight of his new friend. But he did not see the silver boy again, not even at the windows. Eventually he gave up, and returned to the loneliness that was his childhood.

__

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Cloud woke to the feeling of his hair being stroked, and opened his eyes. Zack was across from him, lightly dozing, and there was no mistaking the smoothness of the caressing hand. Sephiroth was with him, and that meant he was safe.

"Cloud? We are nearly there."

"Seph...I think you and I met when we were kids."

Softly, figuring he could fill Zack in later, Cloud explained his vivid dream, the memory that it really was. Sephiroth smiled all through the story, seemingly happy and not at all shocked.

"So it was you. I always thought so."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I feared doing so might embarrass you. I have observed that referencing an individual's childhood actions often causes them discomfort."

"I'm good, really. Wow, I can't believe this. How could I not remember meeting you?"

"You did not know who I was, thus I did not make the impression on you I always have done with other people. Also, studies have shown that memories formed prior to age six are not easily accessible by the time one reaches adolescence."

Many people found the general's formal style of speech annoying or hard to follow. Cloud thought it was cute, and smiled.

"You must have been my first crush, though I never connected you to your name. I remember being dazzled by your beauty."

"I was attracted to you too, though not in a sexual way. And no one had ever spoken to me so kindly and casually. Meeting you was very comforting. A reminder of my humanity."

Cloud rested his head against Sephiroth's chest, and cool arms enclosed him in their peculiar brand of warmth. He was nervous about the trip, scared that the mother he'd not seen in almost three years would still see him as a child rather than a young man in a consensual relationship. He knew that if he had to, he would choose them over her, but the possibility of having to make that choice was gnawing at him.

Zack awoke as they touched down in a snowy field, refreshed and very interested in Cloud's dream. "I'm telling you, fate," he summed up as they strolled into Nibelheim village, a quaint town of thatched roofs and exposed beams. A few people greeted Cloud with politeness and marginal interest; others noticed Sephiroth and kept well away. Cloud stiffened as they passed a staring brunette girl, and Zack made it a point to throw an arm around the boy and tell him he loved him.

They were staying at the inn because Cloud's old home didn't have much space, so they checked in and dropped off their bags before returning to the chilly air. No wonder Cloud had been uncomfortable in Gongaga. Zack, who had grown up in a tropical climate, put on his warmest sweater.

Cloud gave them an unenthusiastic tour - the school where he'd been teased, the houses of children he'd hardly known, the mansion where he'd made and lost his first friend. Surrounded by Zack and Sephiroth's love, Cloud found he didn't mind these things much anymore, and kept up a faint smile. For the first time in public, they were behaving like a trio of lovers, and Cloud couldn't wait for everyone to know the truth. But first...

They headed to a small house at the end of the main street, which was attached to a kitchen from which incredible smells were wafting. Cloud's mother was the village baker, and a talented one. One of the reasons for Cloud's popularity among his peers was his willingness to share the cookies his mother often sent, though he was always careful to save some for his lovers.

A pretty, slightly tired-looking woman with curly blond hair opened the door and ushered them all in. Her blue eyes filled with tears as she took in the sight of her son, and she hugged him tightly.

"Cloud, you've grown so much. Just look at you. I've missed you."

"Me too, Mom. This is Zack and Sephiroth, my superiors and friends."

Having known from letters that the general was close to her son, the woman didn't feel - or at least didn't show - much apprehension about being near him. "Athena Strife, please call me Athena. Please, come sit down."

The house was warm and cozy in this cold climate, especially the much-used kitchen, where the table was laid out with honey-lemon tea, fresh pound cake, and a pot of hearty and home-made venison stew. As she served them, Cloud eagerly asked his mother how she'd been, and was relieved by the answer. Business was good, she said, and as Cloud had asked him to, Mr. Hendricks next door regularly brought her coal and meat in exchange for the raspberry scones he had such a weakness for. Everyone in and around Nibelheim bought her baked goods, even the few who had looked down on her for years, since Cloud's father had left when he was small.

Mainly, Athena wanted to hear what Cloud had been up to, if he was safe. Sephiroth and Zack praised the boy to the skies and promised he was protected, both of which pleased Athena greatly. Cloud told her a few stories from some of the calmer missions he'd done, and the others were insistent about mentioning Cloud's status as the top-ranked cadet in SOLDIER. Athena beamed, but what made her most joyful was the happiness her son was radiating.

"Honey, I was so worried about you leaving, and taking such a dangerous job. I still am, but I've never seen you smile so much. You're glowing."

"That's because..." He hadn't planned to say it this soon, but the timing felt right. "...because I'm in love."

"In love? Oh, honey! Who is she? I hope she's an older girl who takes good care of you."

"Yes to all but the girl part."

"Oh, okay. Who is he, then?"

"Mom...it's Zack and Sephiroth. The three of us are together."

Athena blinked several times. She stared at Cloud, then the hopefully smiling others, then back to Cloud. She nodded slowly, and took a sip of her tea.

"A threesome? Like they did in Daora? How does this work, exactly?"

Zack spoke up, knowing he was good at reassurance. "Just like a couple, but more people, so more love. I promise you, we worship your son and protect him as much as he allows. Since there are two of us, he gets more attention. Think of it that way."

"Your son is very important to us," Sephiroth said softly. "I would without hesitation give my life for him."

Cloud frowned and squeezed the general's hand, and Zack brushed his fingers over the blond spikes. Athena seemed to be deep in thought, then nodded again.

"You're happy with this, Cloud? It's what you want?"

"I'm the luckiest guy on Gaia, Mom. I love them and they love me. In them, I found something to fight for, like I always wanted."

"You never belonged in a small town, honey, with our gossip and petty dislikes. I've missed you, and this is strange to me...but if you're where you want to be, I'm glad." She smiled sympathetically at their evident relief. "I'm sorry you were worried about telling me."

"I would have done it sooner, but we've kept it a secret for the two years or so we've been together."

Athena raised her eyebrows at the length of time, and Sephiroth found himself speaking without thinking.

"I assure you, there was no sex until he turned sixteen."

Zack snickered, while Cloud went pink. Athena managed an uneasy smile, and said, "Thank you, Sephiroth. Both of you."

Cloud hurriedly went on, feeling his ears faintly burning with embarrassment. "We're gonna let people know soon, when I become a 3rd. That's why I'm telling you now, so you'd hear it first from me."

"I see. Why has it been kept a secret? Is there a reason other than your age?"

"Well, also, people are gonna be crazy jealous of us," Zack chuckled, and Cloud elbowed him. "You know your son is adorable but dangerous?"

"I've always known, yes. He was fighting off attacking packs of wolves by the time he was eleven."

"That does not surprise me," Sephiroth said with a smile. "To answer your question, Zack and I were concerned that Cloud would have to face jealousy and whispers of favoritism from within SOLDIER. We wanted to wait until he has proven himself strong and exceptional, which he has done."

Cloud sent Sephiroth a look of pure adoration. Athena's eyes grew misty, and she wiped them with a sniffle that turned into a laugh.

"Well, now I'm glad I baked my special chocolate gingerbread, since we have something else to celebrate." She passed around a platter, from which cookies were eagerly snatched. "And I have a loaf of sugar bread I insist you all try. People love it, especially the children."

Cloud cut the first slice, and passed it to Sephiroth with a meaningful smile. Sephiroth took a bite, and his tastebuds were flooded with sweet, warm softness. It reminded him of kissing his precious ones.

"This is delicious."

"My Cloud knows the recipe, I'm sure he'll bake it for you anytime." Athena rested her chin in a cupped hand and sighed. "So, how soon can I tell people I have two gorgeous son-in-laws?"

__

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Sephiroth always knew when he was dreaming, though it happened rarely, and sensed this was not a memory of the past, but rather a hopeful wish for the future. He was on the back deck of the beach house they owned together, pruning the Banora white tree that science had finally figured out how to cultivate, listening to Zack laugh out on the sand and smelling the coconut cookies Cloud was inside baking.

They were nearing middle-age now, the three of them, though no one would guess that from their hardly-aged bodies. They were retired from SOLDIER, where Zack had been a lieutenant general, the first ShinRa ever had, and Cloud had risen to the rank of commander. Their saved salaries had bought them a life of leisure and peace, and time spent with visiting comrades and the orphans they'd adopted.

Despite his thinking himself too cold to be a good parent, Sephiroth had turned out to be a warm and indulgent father, forcing Zack to be the disciplinarian when the three kids set off fireworks or finger-painted the office ceiling. The twins and younger girl knew an apology to Sephiroth ("Dad") and a show of genuine remorse would get them off without punishment, and that Zack ("Papa") would send them to their rooms, but always with hugs and kisses, so that was all right. And the children never misbehaved with Cloud ("Daddy") because it made him so sad to have to scold them. Of course, Zack and Sephiroth were very jealous of him for this.

Sephiroth could hear Cloud singing in the kitchen, and smiled. Life had been good to him, despite the sadness of his early years. ShinRa hadn't wanted to let the general go, but when he politely pointed out how many secrets he knew about the company, Rufus convinced the board to throw him a farewell banquet, where many tears were shed and emotional speeches given. The three of them maintained contact with former colleagues, and stayed in touch with SOLDIER as consultants. Cloud's old friend Lindley had become the mayor of Midgar, and Zack had just returned from visiting Kunsel and meeting his friend's first son.

"Agh, I hate sand." Zack wandered into the fenced yard and shook himself off. "You want to know what _your_ children just did?"

"I'd appreciate a report, yes."

"Noah tackled me, and Hannah and Lucy buried me. I don't think they should get any cookies."

But Zack was grinning. Noah, the thirteen-year-old elder twin, was strong like his fathers and loved the sword they were teaching him to use. Lucy preferred the bow she was so good with, and baking with her Daddy, and her grandmothers during visits. Seven-year-old Hannah was remarkably intelligent, always buried in her books and chemistry set except when her siblings dragged her outside. She was usually found wearing the pink lab coat Sephiroth had had made for her. (White reminded him too much of Hojo, who had thankfully died long ago.)

"I don't believe Cloud will deny them."

The kids came in just then, Noah chasing his sister with a lizard and then sheepishly apologizing at a stern look from Zack. Hannah, brunette unlike the blond twins, peered at the plants Sephiroth was tending from behind her glasses, and started asking questions about the soil composition. As he explained, Cloud carried a tray of iced tea and coconut macaroons to the patio table. As cold drinks and warm cookies were eaten under a perfect blue sky, Sephiroth wondered what he had done in his violent life to deserve such bliss. He looked back to his lovers, and found Cloud looking at him strangely.

"What is it?"

"Seph."

"Yes?"

"Seph, we're about to land."

"Land?"

"Seph, wake up."

Sephiroth, the twenty-six-year-old general of SOLDIER, opened hs eyes and quickly felt his drowsiness vanish. Cloud was beside him, running fair fingers up and down his arm.

"We're about to land, Seph. Were you dreaming? You mumbled something about nitrogen."

"Even your dreams are complicated," Zack snickered.

"Also, Zack is eating all my mom's cookies without us."

"Hey! I only had twenty-three!"

"So, what were you dreaming about?" Cloud asked curiously.

"Just us," Sephiroth said, smiling peacefully.

**The Decorum series will continue.**

**I figure some of you may be wondering why there was no concern among the trio that any of the parents might be displeased about them being gay, as happens in so many stories. The reason for this is that the details of the Decorum universe are heavily based on and taken from the Gaia that my muses, the Choir, inhabit. On this Gaia, there is no such thing as homophobia, probably because, as Angeal tells me, about half the male population is gay or bi. In SOLDIER, a mainly male institution full of hotties, that number goes up to about 70 percent.**

**Also, you may wonder why condoms are never used in any of my stories, though of course you should use them when needed. In the Choir's Gaia, condoms do not exist and are not needed. Apparently, there's no such things as sexually transmitted diseases, because I had to explain them and consequently be yelled at by Genesis, because I was besmirching the beauty of sex or something. Additionally, Gaia is underpopulated, so it's uncommon for women to try to avoid pregnancy, and if they wish to, they simply don't have sex while they're ovulating. Just FYI.**


End file.
